Kevin Durant calling out the seriousness of his teammates for championship contention might poke James Harden in a wrong way.
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Since the drama in Philadelphia after the 2021 Playoffs, we are close to a second trade deadline and the Ben Simmons saga still continues. The Sixers point guard has not played a game in the 2021-22 season and is not that a big trade asset as the expectations of the Sixers front office.
But still attracting few teams, the 6’11 point guard might get Daryl Morey a De’Aaron Fox from the Kings or maybe even James Harden from the Nets.
There have been rumors for the past several weeks that the Nets guard might be in a deal with the Sixers before he himself gets to regulate his free agency in the off-season.
With Kevin Durant out for the last few games and the Nets falling down the Eastern Conference standings, it seemed to many that they might seriously consider getting Simmons. Neither Durant nor Harden wants that to happen, but what the Slim Reaper has recently said might put some fuel in the fire.
KD might be on to James Harden, asking seriousness out of the Nets
According to ESPN’s NBA insider, Adrian Wojnarowski, KD surely wants James Harden to stay in Brooklyn. But “Durant also wants everyone in Brooklyn as committed to winning a title as he is.”
On NBA Countdown, Woj said Kevin Durant wants James Harden to stay in Brooklyn. Also added that Durant wants everyone in Brooklyn as committed to winning a title as he is.
Woj said Harden continues to tell Durant and Nets management that he wants to be in Brooklyn.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 6, 2022
James Harden has been pretty inefficient this season, shooting his career-worst from the field as well as the 3-point line. Although he is still averaging over 22-points, 10-assists, and 8-rebounds and will be making his 10th straight All-Star appearance, he is having his worst scoring slump in 10 years.
It was the 2011-12 season when he last averaged below 24-PPG. Mind you that season he was playing with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in OKC before Daryl Morey lured him to Houston to be a centerpiece of a franchise.
He can be that again alongside Joel Embiid, having never played with a big man of his caliber, it would be very hard for Harden to turn down Morey and the Sixers when KD is calling out his teammates publicly.